Automatic overflow alarm



c. F. WILLINGHAM -AUTOMATI C OVERFLOW ALARM Filed March 10. 1.922

Patented Get. 15, 1923. v

T E S 51 I 1,420,902 ra t T oFFic 1-3.1

cHAaLEs r..wILLIneHAM,' or DALLAS, TEXAS.

AUTOMATIC o'vnnrrow ALARM.

Application filed March 10, 1922. SerialNo. 542,726.

This invention relates to improvement-sin automatic alarms or signals and pertains particularly to an alarm device for use in connection with liquids contained. in receptacles wherein a warning is desirable at a certain or approximate time.

The primary object of the invention is in the present instance to apply the principle and spirit thereof to the construction and arrangement of an automatic alarm for refrigerators and ice-boxes whereunder is usually a basin or receptacle for collecting water from the melting ice, the object being to arrange the alarm by attachment to the basin or receptacle in such a manner as to cause a bell or alarm to. sound when the water has'attained a certain height or ac-.

to be registered or measured and an alarm sounded when such amount is obtained, and it should be understood that'the invention is not limited to its present mode of appli cation. a

The invention will be'morefullyunderstood by reference to the following'descrip tion, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part hereof in which Figure I is aifragmentary, broken view.

of a basin or receptacle for holding .an accumulation of water from an ice box orirefrigerator, and illustrating the device in position thereupon. 7

Figures 2 and 3 are top or plan views of i the device, the cover or bell being removed.

Figures 4 and 5 are vertical sectional views of the alarm device with parts broken away, the views taken on lines 44= and 55, respectively, of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is adetail sectional on line 6-6 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a perspectivevview of the view taken bracket for supporting the alarm device and for attaching it to the receptacle.

Figure 8 is a small pivoted plate or brake means; and

Figure 9 is a view of the device similar to the view in Figure 3 illustrating the pivoted plate or brake means in position and holding the mechanism in locked position.

Referring more closely to the drawings, 1; denotes a receptacle for catch ng water- ,droppmg from the ice in an ice box or refrigeraton. and 2 is a bracket with .a set screw. 2 and a flange 3 for engagement in a slot 4: in a laterally extended tongue 4* of a plate 5 for holding the alarn'i device in position. The flange 3 forms an integral part of the bracket 2.

Secured to the plate 5 is a frame 6 with supporting downwardly bent portions or legs 77 secured to the plate 5 by screws as'illustrated. This frame 6 has centrally positioned laterally extended arms 88,- one of which, as depicted in Figure 3, provides a fastening means for one end of a spring 9, while the; other arm, together'with the spurs 1010 in frame6, serve to keep the spring in coiled formation. 11 is a ratchet wheel secured upon a shaft 12' seated in plate 5, and traversing a bearing 18 ofthe frame 6. The shaft 12 hasa knurled nut list by means of which the shaft is rotated to contract the spring 9. A bell 15 is screwed to the bearing 13.

Referring to Figures 2, 3, 4 and 9,adja- LCGIlt the ratchet wheel 11* is a pawl ordog 16 upon which isformed an annular member 'or' ring 17 and pivoted with the ratchet to swingupon a'lpin 18..

Thering 17:,is notched'at 18 and 19 for engagement with a finger 20 of an upwardly projecting pin. 21 secured to the cover 22 ofa float chamber 22. The cover of the float chamber is also provided with screws 23-23, the screws and pin 21 having free play in openings inplate 5 to permit the floatchamber to move up and down upon pressure and gravity, the pin21 and screws 23-23 main taining the chamber in a centralized vertical position. The ring 17 has a downwardly projecting portion 17 leavinganannular space l7 around the bottom of the ring for the lessening of friction upon the plate .5.

A clapper 24 is adapted, upon the lateral swing or side to side movement of the ring tween-and against the upwardly projecting lugs 2727. 28 denotes a plate pivoted to I the plate for the purpose of stopping the oscillatory movement of ring 17 acting as a brake.

In operation, water A in the receptacle 1, as it accumulates therein will, when the receptacle is sufficiently full, bear against the float chamber 22 and rising upward will raise the chamber 22 and cause the finger 20 to move out of notch 19, whereupon the spring 9 will through ratchet l6 oscillate the ring from side to side, the clapper ends 26-26 striking against the bell 15. The clapper and ring will continue. to operate until the pivoted plate or brake 28 is moved into the position shown in Figure 9. This latter movement of the brake will bring the finger 20 of pin 21 over the notch 19 in the ring 17 so that when the float chamber22 is again lowered and the brake released the pin will lock the ring against movement until water has again accumulated to bear against the float chamber. The notch 18 allows the finger 20 free play as the ring moves from side to side. I

It will be noted by reference to Figure 1 that the alarm will sound in amp'letime to permit the water to be removed from the basin or receptacle, and should this not be done the water will flow over the topotthe receptacle without getting into the mechanism of the device. I

It will be understood that various changes may be made in the construction and combination of the various elementsillustrated and described in the above, without departing from the spirit of the invention, as announced in the appended claims.

.VVhat is claimed is 1. In an overflow alarm, a casing, a, bell carried by the casing, a pivoted ring-like member having a rigid pawl, a spring tensioned ratchet wheel having its teeth engageable with the pawl so as to oscillate the ring like member, a clapper composed of a reciprocal member having its ends extended through opposite parts of the ring-like member to engage the bell, said ring-like member having a slot in its upper edge, a float, and a finger carried by the float and engageable in r the saidslot to latch the ring-like member against oscillatory movement.

2. In an overflow alarm, a casing, a bell carried by the casing, a pivoted ringlike member, means to oscillate the member, a reciprocal member carried by the ring-like member and having its ends arranged to enmember carried by the member and having.

its ends engaging the bell to sound the latter, a float, and means controlled by the float to normally hold the oscillatorymember inactive and to release the latterupon predetermined movement or" the float.

4. In an overflow alarm, a casing, a bell carried by the casing, an oscillatory member of open ring-like form, means to oscillate the member, a reciprocal member carried by the oscillatory member and having its ends engaging the bell to sound the latter, a float and means controlled by the float to engage on top of the oscillating member to normally hold the latter inactive and to release the oscillatory member upon predetermined move- 'ment of the float.

carried by the member and operable by the oscillatory movements of the latter, manually controlled means engageable with the said peripheral part of the member to hold the latter against oscillatiomand a float for controlling the oscillatory. member.

6. In an overflow alarm, a casing, a bell carried by'the casing, an oscillatory. member, means to oscillate said member, a float for controlling the oscillatory member, and bell sounding means mounted on the member for longitudinal movement into and out of engagement with opposite sides of the bell to sound the latter, by and upon oscillatory movement of the member.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. 7 CHARLES F. WILLINGHAM. 

